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Mariinsky Theater (Saint Petersburg)

The Mariinsky Theater of St. Petersburg had a royal birth. The Imperial Decree created it in 1783, and from this year it has turned into one of the best theaters in the world. The world-famous Mariinsky (Kirov) theater of ballet and opera is one of the best ballet and opera companies in the world. This "must be seen" in St. Petersburg. From the 186...   Show more
All eventsClassical balletModern BalletOpera
2
October
Monday
Opera
Le nozze di Figaro had its premiere in 1786 at the Burgtheater in Vienna. Lorenzo da Ponte – with wh...Show more
Le nozze di Figaro had its premiere in 1786 at the Burgtheater in Vienna. Lorenzo da Ponte – with whom Mozart later collaborated on Don Giovanni and Così fan tutte – created the libretto. It was based on Pierre Beaumarchais’ controversial play Le Mariage de Figaro, which was banned in Vienna due to its seditious content. David McVicar’s acclaimed production sets the action in a French chateau in 1830 on the eve of revolution, amplifying the opera’s undercurrents of class tension. The entire household is drawn into the notoriously complex plot, which covers all shades of human emotion: spirited playfulness, such as when Figaro sends Cherubino off to war in ‘Non più andrai’, is combined with heartfelt despair, such as the Countess’s grief at her husband’s infidelity in 'Dove sono i bei momenti'. But affection and fidelity prevail in this most warm-hearted of operas: the Count’s plea for forgiveness in the final act, ‘Contessa, perdono’, is one of the most moving moments in opera. Full info

All seats are sold out

3
October
Tuesday
Classical ballet
Swan Lake, the treasure of the Russian Classical Ballet ballet, form the basis of the classical ball...Show more
Swan Lake, the treasure of the Russian Classical Ballet ballet, form the basis of the classical ballet repertoire of the Mariinsky Theater: more than a hundred years ago, it was choreographed by Marius Petipa and is considered to be a hallmark of the Mariinsky Ballet - the Main Ballet Stage of the Russian Empire. This classical masterpiece was performed almost uncountable number of times at the Mariinsky Theatre and in the course of numerous tours. Full info
Choreography: Marius Petipa
Choreography: Konstantin Sergeyev
Choreography: Lev Ivanov
Ballet company: Mariinsky (Kirov) Ballet

All seats are sold out

Conducted by Maestro Gergiev
Opera
Richard Strauss brought an extravagant intensity to his adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s play Salomé...Show more
Richard Strauss brought an extravagant intensity to his adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s play Salomé. The glitter of Herod’s palace, the flicker of torches and the pale light of the moon are all vividly evoked in a sumptuously rich score. When Salome had its premiere in Dresden in 1905 it received 38 curtain calls and established Strauss as a first-rank opera composer. Gustav Mahler called it ‘one of the most important works of our day’. Full info

All seats are sold out

5
October
Thursday
Opera
MAN, MYTH, OR MONSTER? Mozart’s multifaceted portrait of an unrepentant Casanova has fascinated audi...Show more
MAN, MYTH, OR MONSTER? Mozart’s multifaceted portrait of an unrepentant Casanova has fascinated audiences since its 1787 premiere. To this day it endures as opera’s ultimate cautionary tale about the human cost of unbridled lust. Featuring varied, evocative, and absolutely glorious music from overture to epilogue, a dynamic set of distinctively drawn characters, and a shocking, unforgettable finale, “the Don” stands apart as Mozart’s boldest masterpiece. Full info
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6
October
Friday
Classical ballet
Don Quixote is a famous ballet based on the epic masterpiece by Miguel de Cervantes. The most succes...Show more
Don Quixote is a famous ballet based on the epic masterpiece by Miguel de Cervantes. The most successful choreography for the ballet was created by Marius Petipa at the height of his career. As the ballet begins, an aging nobleman named Don Quixote becomes obsessed with stories of ancient rivalry. Appearing a little silly, he uses his imagination and pretends to be a brave night. He imagines that he sets out to rescue the lady of his dreams, named Dulcinea. He transforms his servant, Sancho Panza, into a trusty squire and off they go. Don Quixote leads a charge against imaginary enemies, which he sees everywhere. He proceeds to fight invisible rivals, puppets, and windmills. Known for its balletic fireworks and bravura steps, this ballet is a tour de force, requiring the dancers to tackle some of the most technically-demanding choreography in classical ballet. Don Quixote is a must-see ballet for all the family - a fast-paced dance spectacle packed with virtuoso dancing, a fanciful storyline, and hilarious characters. Full info
From US$345
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Conducted by Maestro Gergiev
Opera
Classics of the Italian Opera.
This heart-wrenching opera is a tragic tale of love and loss. ...Show more
Classics of the Italian Opera. This heart-wrenching opera is a tragic tale of love and loss. Though the opera is full of beautiful arias, one of it's most well-known aria's is Vissi d'arte.Tosca sings that though she has been faithful to the Lord and lived her life as loving as she possibly could, she was still rewarded with misfortune. Full info
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7
October
Saturday
Opera
One of the most sunny pieces of the world opera literature. Full of easy humor, it recreates charmin...Show more
One of the most sunny pieces of the world opera literature. Full of easy humor, it recreates charming features of a cheerful fairy tale by Pushkin, whose plot underlies the libretto. However, behind the unpretentiousness of the plot there is significant sense reflecting Russian political reality of the end of the 19th century. Intrigues of sisters of the young tsarina result in that she is sent in exile to a faraway island with her son Gwidon, but there, with the help Swan Princesses, the rescued Gwidon becomes the governor of the fine magic city where they are found by tsar Saltan who did not know about the plot. He is so overjoyed that he forgives the sisters of the tsarina. Full info
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Classical ballet
Swan Lake, the treasure of the Russian Classical Ballet ballet, form the basis of the classical ball...Show more
Swan Lake, the treasure of the Russian Classical Ballet ballet, form the basis of the classical ballet repertoire of the Mariinsky Theater: more than a hundred years ago, it was choreographed by Marius Petipa and is considered to be a hallmark of the Mariinsky Ballet - the Main Ballet Stage of the Russian Empire. This classical masterpiece was performed almost uncountable number of times at the Mariinsky Theatre and in the course of numerous tours. Full info
Choreography: Marius Petipa
Choreography: Konstantin Sergeyev
Ballet company: Mariinsky (Kirov) Ballet
From US$328
View tickets
Book
Classical ballet
Swan Lake, the treasure of the Russian Classical Ballet ballet, form the basis of the classical ball...Show more
Swan Lake, the treasure of the Russian Classical Ballet ballet, form the basis of the classical ballet repertoire of the Mariinsky Theater: more than a hundred years ago, it was choreographed by Marius Petipa and is considered to be a hallmark of the Mariinsky Ballet - the Main Ballet Stage of the Russian Empire. This classical masterpiece was performed almost uncountable number of times at the Mariinsky Theatre and in the course of numerous tours. Full info
Choreography: Marius Petipa
Choreography: Konstantin Sergeyev
Ballet company: Mariinsky (Kirov) Ballet
From US$450
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8
October
Sunday
Classical ballet
August Bournonville’s La Sylphide, set to a commissioned score by Herman Lovenskjold, premiered in C...Show more
August Bournonville’s La Sylphide, set to a commissioned score by Herman Lovenskjold, premiered in Copenhagen in 1836, and has remained in the repertoire of the Royal Danish Ballet to this day. In creating La Sylphide, Bournonville used the Adolph Nourrit libretto which had underpinned Filippo Taglioni’s earlier version of this ballet, with music by Jean Schneitzhoeffer, which had premiered in Paris in 1832. Taglioni’s La Sylphide is often hailed as a landmark work which heralded the Romantic era. The romantic classic La Sylphide is a story of passion and unrequited love featuring an alluring fairy and a diabolical witch. Full info
Composer: Andrey Petrov
Choreography: August Bournonville
Ballet company: Mariinsky (Kirov) Ballet
From US$172
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Classical ballet
August Bournonville’s La Sylphide, set to a commissioned score by Herman Lovenskjold, premiered in C...Show more
August Bournonville’s La Sylphide, set to a commissioned score by Herman Lovenskjold, premiered in Copenhagen in 1836, and has remained in the repertoire of the Royal Danish Ballet to this day. In creating La Sylphide, Bournonville used the Adolph Nourrit libretto which had underpinned Filippo Taglioni’s earlier version of this ballet, with music by Jean Schneitzhoeffer, which had premiered in Paris in 1832. Taglioni’s La Sylphide is often hailed as a landmark work which heralded the Romantic era. The romantic classic La Sylphide is a story of passion and unrequited love featuring an alluring fairy and a diabolical witch. Full info
Composer: Andrey Petrov
Choreography: August Bournonville
Ballet company: Mariinsky (Kirov) Ballet
From US$209
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Opera
Giacomo Puccini’s tragic tale of the beautiful young Japanese woman who is loved and betrayed by an ...Show more
Giacomo Puccini’s tragic tale of the beautiful young Japanese woman who is loved and betrayed by an American Naval Officer at the dawn of the 20th century; classic elegance meets a timeless work. This traditional production and stunning music will bring to life both the clash of cultures and her ultimate sacrifice. Full info
From US$200
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9
October
Monday
Opera
Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin is a radiant example of Russian Lyric Opera. A deeply moving tale packed...Show more
Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin is a radiant example of Russian Lyric Opera. A deeply moving tale packed with big tunes, dances and a heart-stopping duel. As with his ballets, Tchaikovsky brings many symphonic elements to the music, plush orchestrations and highly melodic arias. Onegin is a uniquely Russian opera with a universality that has made it globally popular. None of the characters are easy to associate with and yet the events and their actions ring horribly true. Full info
From US$172
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10
October
Tuesday
Classical ballet
The epitome of Romantic ballet, Giselle is a poignant tale of unrequited love, remorse, and forgiven...Show more
The epitome of Romantic ballet, Giselle is a poignant tale of unrequited love, remorse, and forgiveness. The role of Giselle, often described as the Hamlet of the ballet world, requires an exquisite stylist with daring dramatic and technical skills. Giselle (by Marius Petipa) is one of the world's favorite romantic ballets, and tells the story of a beautiful village girl who falls in love with a powerful Count, who is disguises himself as a fellow villager. When Giselle learns of his deception and that their love will never be, her world falls apart and she descends into madness. Full info
Composer: Adolphe Adam
Choreography: Marius Petipa
Choreography: Jean Coralli
Choreography: Jules Perrot
From US$345
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12
October
Thursday
Classical ballet
The epitome of Romantic ballet, Giselle is a poignant tale of unrequited love, remorse, and forgiven...Show more
The epitome of Romantic ballet, Giselle is a poignant tale of unrequited love, remorse, and forgiveness. The role of Giselle, often described as the Hamlet of the ballet world, requires an exquisite stylist with daring dramatic and technical skills. Giselle (by Marius Petipa) is one of the world's favorite romantic ballets, and tells the story of a beautiful village girl who falls in love with a powerful Count, who is disguises himself as a fellow villager. When Giselle learns of his deception and that their love will never be, her world falls apart and she descends into madness. Full info
Composer: Adolphe Adam
Choreography: Marius Petipa
Choreography: Jean Coralli
Choreography: Jules Perrot
From US$345
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Opera
The death of French actress Adrienne Lecouvreur inspired many plays and operas, of which Francesco C...Show more
The death of French actress Adrienne Lecouvreur inspired many plays and operas, of which Francesco Cilea’s Adriana Lecouvreur is the finest and most enduring. The opera would become Cilea’s greatest success, renowned particularly for his heroine’s arias ‘Io son l’umile ancilla’ in Act I and ‘Poveri fiori’ in Act IV – though Cilea’s atmospheric and elegant score offers much more besides, with Maurizio’s aria ‘La dolcissima effigie sorridente’, the Act III ballet and Adriana’s intense spoken recitation at the end of that act particular highlights. Full info
Composer: Francesco Cilea
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13
October
Friday
Opera
Il trovatore (The Troubadour) is an opera in four
acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libre...Show more
Il trovatore (The Troubadour) is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Salvadore Cammarano, based on the play El trovador (1836) by Antonio Garcia Gutierrez. Cammarano died in mid-1852 before completing the libretto. This gave the composer the opportunity to propose significant revisions, which were accomplished under his direction by the young librettist Leone Emanuele Bardare, and they are seen largely in the expansion of the role of Leonora. The opera was first performed at the Teatro Apollo, Rome, on 19 January 1853 where it "began a victorious march throughout the operatic world". Today, in its Italian version, it is given very frequently and is a staple of the standard operatic repertoire. Full info
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14
October
Saturday
Classical ballet
Le Corsaire ballet, Inspired by Lord Byron’s epic poem, The Corsair, which sold ten thousand copies ...Show more
Le Corsaire ballet, Inspired by Lord Byron’s epic poem, The Corsair, which sold ten thousand copies on the first day of publication, was first performed at the Bolshoi in 1856. This is a swashbuckling, romantic tale of pirates, slaves and oriental intrigue and is typical of the exotic and ambitious ballets created during the Tsarist era. Full info
Composer: Adolphe Adam
Composer: Cesare Pugni
Composer: Leo Delibes
Composer: Riccardo Drigo
Choreography: Marius Petipa
From US$305
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15
October
Sunday
Classical ballet
Prokofiev’s Cinderella choreographed by Alexei Ratmansky, good and sincere story of Cinderella, Prin...Show more
Prokofiev’s Cinderella choreographed by Alexei Ratmansky, good and sincere story of Cinderella, Prince, Love and basic values of Life, was premierred at the Mariinsky Theatre in March 2002.At the time, Ratmansky was a little-known figure: a Bolshoi-trained dancer who had worked for several western companies and was launching his career as a choreographer. A decade later he is the world's most influential ballet-maker, credited with revitalising classical dance through a series of highly individual productions.His Cinderella is an uneven work which shows evidence of the choreographer's struggle to reconcile highly diverse elements. The Copenhagen Post: "Ratmansky’s production is attractive for its light and playful atmosphere, its irony and its self irony. The choreography successfully combines good traditions with inventiveness. A healthy sense of humour guarantees a “democratic feel” and intelligibility to the performance, the thirst for the acting finds a joyous response from the performers, and the exaggerated attention to stylistics gives the ballet a western gloss." Full info
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17
October
Tuesday
Classical ballet
Don Quixote is a famous ballet based on the epic masterpiece by Miguel de Cervantes. The most succes...Show more
Don Quixote is a famous ballet based on the epic masterpiece by Miguel de Cervantes. The most successful choreography for the ballet was created by Marius Petipa at the height of his career. As the ballet begins, an aging nobleman named Don Quixote becomes obsessed with stories of ancient rivalry. Appearing a little silly, he uses his imagination and pretends to be a brave night. He imagines that he sets out to rescue the lady of his dreams, named Dulcinea. He transforms his servant, Sancho Panza, into a trusty squire and off they go. Don Quixote leads a charge against imaginary enemies, which he sees everywhere. He proceeds to fight invisible rivals, puppets, and windmills. Known for its balletic fireworks and bravura steps, this ballet is a tour de force, requiring the dancers to tackle some of the most technically-demanding choreography in classical ballet. Don Quixote is a must-see ballet for all the family - a fast-paced dance spectacle packed with virtuoso dancing, a fanciful storyline, and hilarious characters. Full info
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Was US$193 Now US$165
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18
October
Wednesday
Classical ballet
The epitome of Romantic ballet, Giselle is a poignant tale of unrequited love, remorse, and forgiven...Show more
The epitome of Romantic ballet, Giselle is a poignant tale of unrequited love, remorse, and forgiveness. The role of Giselle, often described as the Hamlet of the ballet world, requires an exquisite stylist with daring dramatic and technical skills. Giselle (by Marius Petipa) is one of the world's favorite romantic ballets, and tells the story of a beautiful village girl who falls in love with a powerful Count, who is disguises himself as a fellow villager. When Giselle learns of his deception and that their love will never be, her world falls apart and she descends into madness. Full info
Composer: Adolphe Adam
Choreography: Marius Petipa
Choreography: Jean Coralli
Choreography: Jules Perrot
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Was US$345 Now US$294
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19
October
Thursday
Classical ballet
Prokofiev’s Cinderella choreographed by Alexei Ratmansky, good and sincere story of Cinderella, Prin...Show more
Prokofiev’s Cinderella choreographed by Alexei Ratmansky, good and sincere story of Cinderella, Prince, Love and basic values of Life, was premierred at the Mariinsky Theatre in March 2002.At the time, Ratmansky was a little-known figure: a Bolshoi-trained dancer who had worked for several western companies and was launching his career as a choreographer. A decade later he is the world's most influential ballet-maker, credited with revitalising classical dance through a series of highly individual productions.His Cinderella is an uneven work which shows evidence of the choreographer's struggle to reconcile highly diverse elements. The Copenhagen Post: "Ratmansky’s production is attractive for its light and playful atmosphere, its irony and its self irony. The choreography successfully combines good traditions with inventiveness. A healthy sense of humour guarantees a “democratic feel” and intelligibility to the performance, the thirst for the acting finds a joyous response from the performers, and the exaggerated attention to stylistics gives the ballet a western gloss." Full info
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20
October
Friday
Opera
Verdi’s dark-hued Macbeth examines the corrosive consequences of tyranny. At the urging of his schem...Show more
Verdi’s dark-hued Macbeth examines the corrosive consequences of tyranny. At the urging of his scheming wife, Macbeth murders the king to claim the crown. His desperate and deadly reign of terror devastates his country and hastens his doom in this masterwork based upon Shakespeare’s classic thriller. Full info
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22
October
Sunday
Classical ballet
August Bournonville’s La Sylphide, set to a commissioned score by Herman Lovenskjold, premiered in C...Show more
August Bournonville’s La Sylphide, set to a commissioned score by Herman Lovenskjold, premiered in Copenhagen in 1836, and has remained in the repertoire of the Royal Danish Ballet to this day. In creating La Sylphide, Bournonville used the Adolph Nourrit libretto which had underpinned Filippo Taglioni’s earlier version of this ballet, with music by Jean Schneitzhoeffer, which had premiered in Paris in 1832. Taglioni’s La Sylphide is often hailed as a landmark work which heralded the Romantic era. The romantic classic La Sylphide is a story of passion and unrequited love featuring an alluring fairy and a diabolical witch. Full info
Composer: Andrey Petrov
Choreography: August Bournonville
Ballet company: Mariinsky (Kirov) Ballet
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23
October
Monday
Opera
There are few productions in the world of opera that could compete with this lyrical drama. It is no...Show more
There are few productions in the world of opera that could compete with this lyrical drama. It is not pretentious, convoluted or emotional — here, the art of opera and the real world collide. It was not by chance that Puccini turned to the only book by Murger that survived its author: The composer knew the protagonists very well: at times, during his studies at the Milan Conservatory, he too had to go without food, just like them. Later, at the time of success and financial independence, he was a centre of the crowd of artists, painters and writers, nicknamed on his initiative ‘The Bohemian Club.’ The composer conceived the idea of the opera in 1893. The opera was created to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica (1853-1919) and Giuseppe Giacosa (1847-1906), yet it was Puccini who shaped the plan and sketched the characters of the protagonists, who differ from those in the original. Puccini was absorbed by the opera and started composing it in 1894, when the libretto wasn’t ready yet. Puccini wrote his opera La bohème contemporaneously with Leoncavallo’s own treatment of the same story. The rivalry ended in a quarrel. By the end of 1985 Puccini’s La bohème was ready and received its première on 1 February 1896 in Turin. Full info
Composer: Andrey Petrov
Composer: Giacomo Puccini
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24
October
Tuesday
Classical ballet
The epitome of Romantic ballet, Giselle is a poignant tale of unrequited love, remorse, and forgiven...Show more
The epitome of Romantic ballet, Giselle is a poignant tale of unrequited love, remorse, and forgiveness. The role of Giselle, often described as the Hamlet of the ballet world, requires an exquisite stylist with daring dramatic and technical skills. Giselle (by Marius Petipa) is one of the world's favorite romantic ballets, and tells the story of a beautiful village girl who falls in love with a powerful Count, who is disguises himself as a fellow villager. When Giselle learns of his deception and that their love will never be, her world falls apart and she descends into madness. Full info
Composer: Adolphe Adam
Choreography: Marius Petipa
Choreography: Jean Coralli
Choreography: Jules Perrot
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25
October
Wednesday
Opera
Gounod's Faust, once one of the most famous and most performed operas. Based on Goethe's dramatic po...Show more
Gounod's Faust, once one of the most famous and most performed operas. Based on Goethe's dramatic poem, it's a tale of romance, temptation and tragedy, and the clash between religion and satanic powers. Full info
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26
October
Thursday
Opera
Giuseppe Verdi's Un ballo in maschera at the Mariinsky is ambitious show, staged by the famous f...Show more
Giuseppe Verdi's Un ballo in maschera at the Mariinsky is ambitious show, staged by the famous film director Andrei Konchalovsky was presented by the Mariinsky Theatre in the year 100th anniversary of the composer's death at the music festival in his name in Italy.The libretto is based on the assassination in 1792 of King Gustav III of Sweden who was killed as the result of a political conspiracy against him. He was shot while attending a masked ball. Full info
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27
October
Friday
Classical ballet
August Bournonville’s La Sylphide, set to a commissioned score by Herman Lovenskjold, premiered in C...Show more
August Bournonville’s La Sylphide, set to a commissioned score by Herman Lovenskjold, premiered in Copenhagen in 1836, and has remained in the repertoire of the Royal Danish Ballet to this day. In creating La Sylphide, Bournonville used the Adolph Nourrit libretto which had underpinned Filippo Taglioni’s earlier version of this ballet, with music by Jean Schneitzhoeffer, which had premiered in Paris in 1832. Taglioni’s La Sylphide is often hailed as a landmark work which heralded the Romantic era. The romantic classic La Sylphide is a story of passion and unrequited love featuring an alluring fairy and a diabolical witch. Full info
Composer: Andrey Petrov
Choreography: August Bournonville
Ballet company: Mariinsky (Kirov) Ballet
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Was US$209 Now US$178
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29
October
Sunday
Classical ballet
Swan Lake, the treasure of the Russian Classical Ballet ballet, form the basis of the classical ball...Show more
Swan Lake, the treasure of the Russian Classical Ballet ballet, form the basis of the classical ballet repertoire of the Mariinsky Theater: more than a hundred years ago, it was choreographed by Marius Petipa and is considered to be a hallmark of the Mariinsky Ballet - the Main Ballet Stage of the Russian Empire. This classical masterpiece was performed almost uncountable number of times at the Mariinsky Theatre and in the course of numerous tours. Full info
Choreography: Marius Petipa
Choreography: Konstantin Sergeyev
Choreography: Lev Ivanov
Ballet company: Mariinsky (Kirov) Ballet
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30
October
Monday
Opera
Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin is a radiant example of Russian Lyric Opera. A deeply moving tale packed...Show more
Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin is a radiant example of Russian Lyric Opera. A deeply moving tale packed with big tunes, dances and a heart-stopping duel. As with his ballets, Tchaikovsky brings many symphonic elements to the music, plush orchestrations and highly melodic arias. Onegin is a uniquely Russian opera with a universality that has made it globally popular. None of the characters are easy to associate with and yet the events and their actions ring horribly true. Full info
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All eventsClassical balletModern BalletOpera

For more than two centuries, the Mariinsky Theater has presented to the world many great artists: the outstanding bass and the founder of the Russian opera school Osip Petrov performed; It was here that such great singers as Fedor Chaliapin, Ivan Ershov, Medea, Nikolai Figner and Sofia Preobrazhenskaya perfected their skills and ascended to fame. At this stage, ballet dancers reigned, among them Matilda Ksessinska, Anna Pavlova, Vatslav Nijinsky, Galina Ulanova, Rudolf Nuriev and Mikhail Baryshnikov. Here George Balanchine set out on his journey to art. This theater witnessed the dawn of the talents of such brilliant theater decorators as Konstantin Korovin, Alexander Golovin, Alexander Benois, Simon Virsaladze and Fedor Fedorovsky among countless others.

The Mariinsky Theater can trace its history back in 1783, when the Edict on the creation of the theatrical committee "for performances and music" was published on July 12, and on October 5, the Bolshoi Theater of the Stone Tower was opened on the Carousel Square among the majestic pump. The theater gave the square a new name - even today it is known as the Theater Square.

Built according to the plans of Antonio Rinaldi, the Bolshoi Theater impressed the audience with its large scale, its majestic architecture and its stage, equipped with the most modern equipment and equipment for the theater. At the opening, Giovanni Paiciello's opera Il mondo della luna was performed. Italian and French companies performed in the Russian opera troupe, as well as plays and concerts of vocal and instrumental music.

St. Petersburg was expanding, and its image was constantly changing. In 1802-1803, Thomas de Thomon - a brilliant architect and draftsman - undertook a major overhaul of the interior layout and decor of the theater, significantly changing the appearance and proportions. The new, majestic and majestic Bolshoi Theater became one of the architectural sights of the capital on the Neva River, as well as the Admiralty, the Stock Exchange and the Kazan Cathedral. But on the night of January 1, 1811, there was a huge fire in the Bolshoi Theater. Two days later the rich interior was lost, and the facade was seriously damaged by fire. Thomas de Thomon, who worked on the plans for the reconstruction of his expensive project, did not live to see that it became successful.

We are going to the "golden age" of the Bolshoi Theater. The repertoire of the post-fire era included Mozart's "Headline football", "Die Entführung aus dem Serail" and "La clemenza di Tito". Russian audiences were fascinated by Latin American Hispanics, Semiramida, La gazza ladra and Il barbiere di Siviglia. In May 1824, Weber premiered "Der Freischütz" - a work that had a great influence on the birth of the Russian romantic opera. There were musical comedies of Alyabyev and Verstovsky; one of the favorite repertoire operas was Cavus Ivan Susanin, who was performed until the appearance of Glinka's opera on the same theme. The legendary Charles Didelot is associated with the birth of the international glory of Russian ballet. It was during these years that Pushkin, who immortalized the theater in his ageless poetry.

In 1836, in order to improve the acoustics, the architect Alberto Kavos - composer and conductor - replaced the ceiling of the dome of the auditorium with a flat, above which he placed an art workshop and a hall for decorating sets. Alberto Cavos removed the columns from the audience, as they interfered with the look and distorted the acoustics; he also gave the audience his traditional form of horse shoes and increased its length and height to two thousand people.

November 27, 1836, with the first performance of Glinka's opera Life for the Tsar, the reconstructed theater was reopened. Perhaps, by chance and perhaps by design, the premiere of Ruslana's second opera and Lyudmila-Glinka's opera took place exactly six years later, on November 27, 1842. These two dates would be enough to ensure that the St. Petersburg Bolshoi Theater earned its place forever in the history of Russian culture. But, of course, there were performances of masterpieces of European music - operas by Mozart, Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti, Verdi, Meyerbeer, Gounod, Aubert and Thomas ...

Over time, the performances of the Russian opera troupe were transferred to the Alexandrinsky Theater and the so-called circus theater, which was opposite the Bolshoi Theater (where the ballet troupe and the Italian opera troupe continued performing).When in 1859 the circus theater was destroyed by fire, a new theater was built on the same site, once again Alberto Kavos. He was named Mariinsky in honor of the Empress Maria Alexandrovna, the wife of Alexander II. The first theatrical season in the new building was opened on October 2, 1860 with "Life for the Tsar" Glinka under the baton of the conductor of the Russian Opera Konstantin Lyadov, the father of the famous composer Anatoly Lyadov.

The Mariinsky Theater provided and developed the great traditions of the first Russian musical theater. With the advent in 1863 of Edward Napryanik, who replaced Konstantin Lyadov as the chief conductor, a new and glorious era in the history of the theater began. Half a century ago, the Nastrynik, dedicated to the Mariinsky Theater, stands out as the premiere of the most important operas in the history of Russian music. We will mention only a few of them: Boris Godunov by Mussorgsky, The Pskov maid, The Night T-shirt and The Snow Maiden by Rimsky-Korsakov, Prince Igor Borodin, The Order's Maid of Tchaikovsky, The Enchantress, The Queen of Spades and "Iolanta", "Demon Demons" Rubinstein, Ovest Taneeva ... In the early 20th century, the repertoire of the theater included Wagner's operas (among them the tetralogy Der Ring des Nibelungen), Elektra of Richard Strauss,
Marius Petipa, who became the director of the ballet troupe in 1869, continued the traditions of his predecessors - Jules Perrot and Arthur Saint-Leon. Petipa zealously preserved classical works such as Giselle, La Esmeralda and Le Corsaire, subjecting them only to thorough reviews. His production of "La Bayadère" for the first time presented the scale and range of the choreographic composition on the stage of the ballet, where "the dance became assimilated by music".Petipa's happy meeting with Tchaikovsky, who stated that "ballet is also a symphony", led to the creation of "The Sleeping Beauty" - a real poem in music and choreography. The cooperation between Petipa and Lev Ivanov created the "Nutcracker" choreography. After the death of Tchaikovsky, Swan Lake took a second life at the Mariinsky Theater - and again with the choreography of Petipa and Ivanov. Petipa strengthened his reputation as a symphonic choreographer and staged the ballet "Raymonda" by Glazunov. His innovative ideas were taken by the young Michel Fokine, who staged Tcherepnin's Pavilion d'Armide, The Dying Swan and Chopiniana of Saint-Saëns to the music of Chopin at the Mariinsky Theater, as well as ballets created in Paris - Schéhérazade, Rimsky-Korsakov and Firebird and Petrushka Stravinsky.

The Mariinsky Theater underwent several reconstructions. In 1885, when most of the performances were given to the Mariinsky Theater before the closing of the Bolshoi Theater, the chief architect of the Imperial Theaters Victor Schreter added a three-story wing to the left of the building for theatrical workshops, rehearsal rooms, electric substation and boiler room. In 1894, under the supervision of Schreter, the wooden rafters were replaced with steel and concrete, the side wings widened and the lobby of the spectators expanded. The main facade also underwent reconstruction, taking monumental forms.

In 1886, the ballets, which until then continued to be performed at the Bolshoi Theater, were transferred to the Mariinsky Theater. The building of the St. Petersburg Conservatory was built on the site of the Bolshoi Theater.
The governmental decree of November 9, 1917 made the Mariinsky Theater state property and was transferred to the People's Commissariat for Education. In 1920, it became known as the State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater (GATob), and in 1935 it was named after Sergei Mironovich Kirov. Along with the classics of the last century, in the 20's and early 30's. In the theater, modern operas began to perform - among them "The Love for Three Oranges" by Sergei Prokofiev, "Alzan Berg's" Alzan "and Richard Strauss's" Rosencavalier "; and ballets were installed that reinforced a new choreographic trend that for decades was popular, the so-called "dramatic ballet" - Reinhold Gliere's "Red Poppy", the flame of Paris Boris Asafiev and the fountain of Bakhchisaray.

The last premiere of the premiere in the Kirov Theater was Lohengrin Wagner, whose second performance ended late on June 21, 1941, although the speeches announced on June 24 and 27 were replaced by Ivan Susanin. During the Second World War the theater was evacuated to Perm, where there were premieres of several works, including the ballet of Aram Khachaturian Gayane. After returning to Leningrad, the theater opened the season on September 1, 1944, with Glinka's opera by Ivan Susanin.

In the 50s and 70s such famous ballets as Shurale Farida Yarullina, Spartak Aram Khachaturian and Twelve Boris Tishchenko with the choreography of Leonid Yakobson, The Stone Flower by Sergei Prokofiev and The Legend of Love by Arif Melikov with the choreography of Yuri Grigorovich and the Leningrad Symphony by Dmitry Shostakovich with choreography, Igor Belsky was staged in the theater, and together with the staging of these new ballets the theater diligently cared for its classical heritage. The opera repertoire was enriched by the works of Prokofiev, Dzerzhinsky, Shaporin and Khrennikov, as well as the operas of Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Mussorgsky, Verdi and Bizet.

Between 1968 and 1970, the theater underwent a major reconstruction in accordance with the projects of Salome Gelfer, as a result of which the left wing of the building was "stretched" and assumed the form it has today.

An important stage in the history of the theater in the 1980s was the performances of Tchaikovsky's operas Eugene Onegin and The Queen of Spades, organized by the theater's director Yuri Temirkanov from 1976. These performances, still in the repertoire of the theater, saw the emergence of a new generation of performers.

In 1988, Valery Gergiev was appointed chief conductor of the theater. January 16, 1992 the historical name of the theater was restored, and he again became the Mariinsky Theater. And in 2006 the concert and the orchestra were presented with the Concert Hall on Pisarev Street 20 on the initiative of the artistic and general director of the Mariinsky Theater Valery Gergiev.

The Mariinsky Theater underwent several reconstructions. In 1885, when most of the performances were given to the Mariinsky Theater before the closing of the Bolshoi Theater, the chief architect of the Imperial Theaters Victor Schreter added a three-story wing to ...

Today the Mari lives up to its high history. The sea frothy green building seems less extravagant than most of St. Petersburg structures, but inside contains a world of sensual miracles. The main audience plunges guests into a wave of gold, five-story balconies stretching to the ceiling, and a cocoon around the viewers, like a warm sunset. These are just settings for a real miracle, the performances themselves - every ballet and opera is a flurry of stunning backgrounds, flowing costumes and dedicated performers who tie each show into an impeccable package.

The Mariinsky Theater is a pleasure for the eyes and ears. No other work on earth can compare with the production in these hallowed halls, and as one of the most famous places in St. Petersburg, it is almost necessary for every visitor. You will come as a tourist, but leave a cultivated member of the elite music community in Russia.